Preseason has a way of turning familiar names into roster questions, and the Saints have a few former starters who are heading into camp with plenty to prove.
The list starts with Kendre Miller, and he might be the toughest case to sort through. When he’s healthy, he looks like the kind of back who can change a game with speed, burst, tackle-breaking power and real NFL-level upside.
The problem is that “when healthy” has become the big issue. Miller has been injured every season since entering the league, and those absences haven’t been minor.
They’ve kept him out for multiple weeks at a time. Dennis Allen also drew blame for one of those stretches after making the questionable call to place the young running back on IR, though Miller was already hurt before that happened.
He’s still working back from the torn ACL he suffered last season, and if he can make it through the preseason healthy, he still has a path to sticking around. But it is his contract year, and the Saints could decide to move in a different direction.
Davon Godchaux is another veteran whose spot is not locked in. The Saints sent a 7th-round pick to bring him in last season, a move that got brushed off in some corners but made a lot of sense for a team shifting into a 3-4 look.
Godchaux fit the nose tackle role in the middle of the defensive line, something New Orleans didn’t really have before. He had some strong moments during the year, but the overall impact never quite matched the expectation.
Part of that came down to the Saints not being able to fully operate in the defensive scheme they wanted. That could change if the personnel around him is better suited to the system this time around, but there’s also a real chance he won’t get the opportunity.
He’ll have competition in camp, and if the Saints find a better nose tackle, he could be out by the deadline.
Pete Werner rounds out the group, and while he may have the least direct competition of the three, he still has work to do. His health has been an issue, and last season was uneven.
The Saints brought in Kaden Elliss to lead the group, while Danny Stutsman showed real flashes and brings a lot of upside, and Isaiah Stalbird gives them a solid depth option. That gives New Orleans a pretty strong mix at the position.
If the Saints want to push Stutsman into a bigger role and believe they can get something worthwhile in a Werner trade, Werner may not be on the roster when the season opens. If he stays healthy and looks better than he did last year, though, he should remain in place.
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Bill Barnwell even labeled the deal a shrewd signing, and the appeal is obvious: Emersons injury depressed his market, giving New Orleans a chance to add a player with real upside at a bargain price. If he comes back well, he could make this more than a depth story and turn it into a real competition with Quincy Riley for a starting job opposite Kool-Aid McKinstry. [Read more 🡒]